Theale & Tilehurst Friendly XI vs Cookham Dean Friendly XI

30th May 2010

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Report by Speedo.

All together now....Heads, shoulders, knees and Toes... No no it's Knees, Fingers, Shins and Toes. Knees, Fingers, Shins and Toes, Shins 'n Toes.

Lets start with Toes. Yes an easy one. Before the match Jordan turned up to watch 'n score on crutches still two weeks away from fitness after his dislocated toe. We were inserted into the field on a flat looking track. Wiggy started with three non-bouncing half trackers and some wides ablely stopped by Brian's shins. After that the pitch behaved normally and their openers got off to a fast scoring start. Wiggy took the first wicket bowled top of off. The introduction of Brian and Rog slowed the rate. Their opener looked dangerous and later proved dangerous to the inside of Alec's knee which he used to stop a boundary heading ball.  Alec's went off for the magic spray and was soon followed by Rog who'd broken a nail (hurt his finger) not stopping a straight drive off his own bowling. After Rog had finished and Alec's had regained movement in his knee Alec came on. Alec and Brian both bowled well on a very flat track to restrict the batsmen and take wickets. Brian probably got the key wicket with the dismissal of the left handed tall opener. They ended on 238 which seemed to be about right. At one stage 260 plus looked on the cards so we were happy.

And once again....And eyes and ears and mouth and no-o-o-o-se...Knees, Fingers, Shins and Toes, Shins 'n Toes.

Meady and Wiggy opened up and it was soon clear that Wiggy had his eye in. The hundred partnership came up in under 18 overs when Meady went caught  behind. The next wicket accounts for the rest of my nursery rhyme line. Wiggy's mouth called 'Yes'. Den's Ears heard yes but we all knows (sorry) that yes sometimes means no or maybe or something. Anyway Den was run out. The next few wickets were lost with me umpiring and discussing with Wiggy the relative merits of each players guard, stance, head position, and obviously shoulders, knees and....feet. I departed (umpiring) to allow Den chance of revenge on the still batting Wiggy from the umpires 'chair'. Just as it looked like we may have to settle for draw Rog and Wiggy came together and the runs flowed at a prodigious rate. Then just as it looked like a stroll to victory Wiggy was out with a howitzer caught on the boundary. Emotions in the pavilion turned once more to settling for the draw but Wiggy's bat (in Brian's hands) was soon back at the crease. Rog and Brian continued until we needed 13 off the final over. After some fine hitting including a sumptuous cover drive from Brian we needed 2 off the final ball. We got one.

As has been mentioned to me many times overs/time cricket can result in dull draws like this one (????).  What a game.

Well it would be disingenuous for me not to have a word for Wiggy's hundred. I'll go for 'scary'. If you want it in a sentence I'll go for 'It's scary how hard he hit the ball'. Other highlights were a return to runs for Rog and fine bowling from Alec and Brian.

Pictures courtesy of Chris Manning: